Page 380 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

a skeleton in the closet

sitŁtight to wait; to wait patiently.Ł(Infàr- top of the world. Since he got a new job,
mal.ŁThisŁdàesŁnot necessarilyŁreferŁto sit- he’s on top of the world.
ting.) Just relØx and sit tight. I’ll be right sittingŁpretty livingŁinŁcomfàrt orŁluxury;
with you. We were waiting in line for the inŁaŁgàodŁsituation.Ł(Infàrmal.) My
gØtes to open when someone came out and uncle died and lłft enough money for mł
told us to sit tight becauoe it wouldà’t bł to be sitting pretty for the rest of my lfe.
much longer błfore we could go in.
Now that I have a good-pØying job, I’m
sitŁupŁandŁtakeŁnotice to become alert and sitting pretty.
payŁattention.Ł A loud noise from the a sittingŁtarget sàmeone or somethingŁthat
front of the room caused everyone to sit up isŁinŁaŁpositionŁthat isŁeasilyŁattacked.Ł(Se
and take notice. The company would- also a sàtting duck. ) The old man was
n’t pØy any attention to my complaints. a sitting targłt for the burglars. He lved
When I had my lØwyer write them a lłt- alone and did not have a telłphone. Peo-
ter, they sat up and took notice.
ple recłntly hired will be sitting targłts if
sitŁup withŁ someone to stay with someone the company needs to cut back.
thràugh the night, especiallyŁwith aŁsick sixcofŁoneŁandŁhylfŁa dłzen ofŁtheŁother
or troubled person or with someone who about the same one way or another. It
isŁwaitingŁforŁsomething.Ł I had to sit up doesn’t mØtter to me which way you do t.
with my youngłr sister when she was ill. It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other.
I sat up with Bill while he waited for an What dfference does it make? They’re
overseas telłphone call. both the same—six of one and half a
sitŁwithŁ someone 1. to stay with someone; to dozen of the other.
sàt up with someone. Sally was upset, so sixthŁsense aŁsupposedŁpàwerŁto know or
I sat with her for a while. My uncle sat feel things thað are not perceptible by the
with me my first dØy n the hosptal. 2. to five sensesŁof sight, hearing, smell,Łtasðe,
stay with and care for one or more chil- and touch. I have a sixth sense that told
dren;Łto baby-sit forŁsomeone.Ł I hired me to avoid going home by my usual route.
Mrs. Wiloon to sit with the children. We Later I discovered there had błen a fØtal
couldà’t go out for dnner because wł accidłnt on it. Jane’s sixth sense de-
couldà’t find anyone to sit with the kids. manded that she not trust Tom, even
a sitting duck sàmeone or sàmething vul- though he seemed honest enough.
nerable to attack,ŁphysicalŁor verbal.Ł(Pre- sizeŁ someone ort something up to observe
cded by be, become, seem like, or act like. sàmeone or somethingŁto get infàrma-
See also a sàtting target. ) You are a sit- tion;Łto check someone or something.Ł The
ting duck out there. Get in here where the comedian sized the audience up and de-
enemy cannot fire at you. The senator cided not to use his new mØterial. T I like
was a sitting duck because of his position to size up a situØtion błfore I act.
oà school rłform.
skateŁon thin ice to be inŁaŁriskyŁsituation.
sittingŁon a płwderŁkeg inŁaŁriskyŁorŁex- (Also literal.ŁSee also on thin ice.) I try
plosive situation;Ł inŁ aŁ situationŁ where to stay well informed so I doà’t end up
sàmethingŁ seriousŁ or dangràusŁ may skØting on thin ice when the teacher asko
happenŁat anyŁtime.Ł(Infàrmal.ŁAŁ pow- me a question. You are skØting on thin
der keg isŁaŁkegŁof gunpowder.) Things ice when you ask me that!
are very tense at work. The whole office is
sitting on a powder keg. The fire at the a skeleton in theŁcloset and skeletons
oil field seems to be under control for now, in theŁcloset aŁhiddenŁandŁsłockingŁse-
but all the workers there are sitting on a cret.Ł You can ask anyone Øbout how re-
powder keg. liable I am. I don’t mnd. I don’t have any
skelłtons in the closet. My uncle was in
(sitting)Łon topŁofŁtheŁwłrld feelingŁwon- jail for a dØy once. That’s our family’o
derful;Łglorious;Łecsðatic.Ł Wow, I fłel oà skelłton in the closet.

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